1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a highly convenient removable device and a program startup method.
2. Description of the Background Art
Along with the continued growth in the use of various types of computers, which accompanies the increasing use and progress in semiconductor technology and the Internet, recent years have seen diversification in the methods used for connecting peripheral devices. As a result, a need has been created for a universal peripheral device interface that can be used for any computer models and the USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface has been proposed as a specific example of such a standard. Moreover, reductions in the weight and size of various computers and the expansion of their portable (mobile) uses have created a need for removable external storage devices, fueling the growing popularity of USB memory, which is a memory device that can be easily connected to a PC via the above-mentioned USB interface.
USB memory has various storage capacities, including 32 MB, 64 MB, etc. More specifically, it is a peripheral device of the size of a person's thumb that is furnished with a flash memory element inside and, when connected to a USB port (connection port) of a PC etc. via a USB connector provided at one of its ends, is recognized as a removable (attachable/detachable) disk drive, etc., and permits access, such as reading/writing, and the like.
Nowadays the use of the Internet is becoming particularly widespread and using a rented/borrowed computer other than the one normally used while away from home is becoming a more frequent practice, so that, for instance, in many cases one sends and receives e-mail using a PC rented by the hour at an Internet cafe, etc. or borrowed from other people, such as colleagues at the office, customers, family members, friends and acquaintances, etc.
Normally, PCs at such temporary locations do not have data such as one's sent and received e-mail or account information and the type and version of their e-mail programs (software used for electronic mail) are not the same as those of one's favorite e-mail program. Furthermore, while it is possible to consider setting up one's account information on another person's PC in order to send and receive e-mail, in such a case, privacy problems may arise as a result of forgetting to erase the data concerning such account information and sent/received e-mail. Thus, some people resort to recording data etc. concerning such account information, e-mail software, and sent/received e-mail in a USB memory and carrying it along with them.
In other words, not only data, but software, such as e-mail programs, etc., and shortcuts to software, can be stored in a USB memory as well, and, in addition to saving and reading data, the USB memory can be used to perform the startup of such software.
However, the problem is that when one tries to utilize the target data and software stored in a USB memory, reaching them involves burdensome operations, with their complexity increasing with the frequency of use of the USB memory.
For instance, using data stored in a USB memory required a corresponding complex procedure, in the course of which the user not only inserted the USB memory in the PC, but also performed operations on the OS (Operating System) screen by going through sequential options, such as “My Computer”→“Removable Disk”→“Target Operation”, or specified a file name for execution via the keyboard.
The present invention is proposed to solve the problems of the above-described conventional technology, and its object is to provide a highly convenient removable device and a program startup method.